How ticks reproduce in nature and on animals: what do they feed on besides blood?

Features of reproduction

Before considering the usual process of reproduction of ixodid ticks, it is necessary to understand viviparity. This method of reproduction refers to only two types, it consists of the following. A fertilized female bears offspring within herself; when the eggs mature, she dies. Since this happens in the fall, the offspring overwinters in the mother's body. With the arrival of spring, when it gets warmer, the egg development stage ends and larvae appear.

They appear in the mother's body and begin to gnaw their way out, thereby satisfying hunger and obtaining the necessary nutrients for development. With this method of reproduction, the offspring receives much less nutrients, especially where the eggs are laid.

Now let's look at the usual method of reproduction for ticks. In fact, the fertilization process itself is not a complicated procedure; no preparation or special conditions are needed. The male individual looks for a female, attaches itself to her body with the help of suction cups on its paws, and fertilization occurs. Speaking of males, most often they die after mating, but if after the first mating there is another female nearby, then he can fertilize her too, and only then die. But between these processes he definitely needs to get enough blood.

These parasites also have an interesting feature. The fact is that the female is capable of laying eggs without the participation of a male. In other words, in order to lay offspring, she does not have to mate at all; egg laying will happen in any case. The only difference is that during mating, the offspring will be both male and female, and without it, only female.

How do ixodid ticks reproduce?

Reproduction of ticks is the last stage of the life cycle, a kind of apotheosis of their existence. Usually it falls, depending on the climate, in March - May.

A male has a chance to fertilize up to 2 females in one season, after which he dies.
If mating does not occur, the male spends the winter in hopes of marrying next year.
The female completes her life cycle after laying eggs, and mating is not necessary for this.
If mating does not occur, then the clutch will still occur, but will consist of female individuals.
If there was contact with a male, then the clutch will consist of future individuals of both sexes.

This is interesting! The spiders mate chaotically - whoever is closest is the pair, since they cannot overcome considerable distances to find their “half” on their own. Perhaps on the body of the owner, sucking on his body. Therefore, parasites have no choice. The only goal driving mites is reproduction of the species.

Mite mating process

Sex differences among adult ticks are pronounced - females are much larger than males, their body is more elastic, it resembles a leathery pouch. The chitinous cover of the female is much smaller - it should not interfere with the stretching of the abdomen, because its main role is as a container for sucked blood and the formation of eggs.

To mate, an adult male tick climbs onto the female's abdomen and attaches itself to it with suction cups on the tips of its legs.
Then the male's proboscis is immersed in the bride's genital opening for several hours.
The purpose of this stage of copulation is to widen the partner’s hole and moisten it with saliva.
While the groom is busy with his girlfriend’s hole, his genital organ - the ectospermatophore - swells, fills with sperm and comes out.
The male removes the proboscis and instead inserts his sexual organ into the female’s abdomen, helping himself with the front claws - chelicerae.

By the way! When the pumping of sperm ends, the male leaves the bride and soon dies, devoting all his energy to procreation. The second copulation is possible only if there is another female nearby and the guy still has strength. And this depends on whether he has received the necessary portion of blood - a hungry male is not capable of a second sexual intercourse.

Process of maturation and laying of eggs

If everything is already over for the male - the mite did everything it could to reproduce, even gave its life - then for the female the most crucial stage is just beginning. The gametes inside the abdomen will not develop until it has pumped enough blood. If mating took place directly on the owner, then the expectant mother immediately gets the opportunity to satisfy the need for blood protein, “without leaving the cash register.”

As soon as the fertilized female manages to attach herself to the victim and fill her abdomen with blood for several days, the process of protein digestion and egg maturation begins inside her. She will feed for about 5 - 14 days. During this time, the gametes will form into zygotes, that is, full-fledged reproductive cells, and the female herself will begin to resemble a grayish raisin, swelling 5-10 times. As soon as the satiated female tick falls off the host, she, having digested all the blood, begins the process of laying eggs. Laying usually occurs closer to July.

It is curious not only how ixodid spiders reproduce, but also the laying process.

The eggs are formed inside the abdomen after saturation and digestion of blood, with the assistance of blood protein obtained from feeding on the prey.
Then, moving towards the head, they pass through the Genet organ located near the oral apparatus, where they receive protective lubricant.
And only then the translucent brownish-yellow eggs, similar to caviar, come out through this organ. It seems that the female is spitting them out.
After laying stops, it quickly dies.

By the way! During her short life, a female tick can leave behind several thousand eggs in one clutch. In harsh natural conditions, at best, hundreds survive to larvae.

The female, located on the host-feeder, can lay eggs on his body - in the thick of wool or feathers. But more often the process occurs outside the victim’s body - on the soil, in grass or foliage, in a hole or bird’s nest.

Life stages

Thousands of species of ticks live in nature, the life cycle of which goes through the following stages:

a larva emerging from an egg;
nymphs, development includes 4−8 molts;
imago, or sexually mature tick.

Each reincarnation occurs after the parasite is fed with blood.

The duration of the stages varies from several days to months. While waiting for prey, diapauses or hibernation breaks occur, in which activity is reduced to a minimum.

The state of a kind of suspended animation allows you to survive any unfavorable period. The ability to slow down metabolic processes greatly increases the period of existence of the parasite.

The tick type, habitat, environmental features are the main factors influencing the life span and each of its stages

Differences between females and males

These parasites have a chitinous shell on their body, this is a shell that protects their body from damage. Males have such a shell covering the entire back, the body is brown. And in females the shell is much smaller and is only 1/3 of the body, they have a gray or reddish color.

Remembering such blood-sucking mosquitoes, quite often disputes arise as to who bites and who is more dangerous. Indeed, in the case of mosquitoes, only females attack. In this case, both males and females inflict bites, but it is the males who pose the greatest danger.

The fact is that when a female attacks a prey, she attaches herself for a long time until she is completely satiated. This period can last several days, which allows you to detect it on your body and take the necessary measures. In the case of males, everything is much more complicated. They deliver painless bites and get full very quickly. Having noticed a crawling parasite, few people will think that it has already bitten, much less infected with a dangerous disease. And if you consider that when infected with encephalitis, the disease progresses for a long time without any symptoms, then the person does not even suspect that he is infected with a serious disease.

What to do if bitten?

If alarming symptoms appear, you don’t have to wait, like a tick on a blade of grass, whether it will go away or not. You should immediately consult a doctor. With encephalitis (translated from Latin as “inflammation of the brain”), fever, headache, weakness, and nausea first appear. In some cases, the patient has impaired consciousness and paralysis. He might die. But doctors have cures for all forms of encephalitis.

The first symptoms of borreliosis are red rings around the bite. They can be gigantic - for example, on the entire back. A cough, runny nose, headache, and weakness, like a cold, also appear. But then the work of the heart is disrupted, bones and joints deteriorate, and red growths appear on the skin. The sick person may become disabled or die. The disease gets its name from Borrelia, a long, spiral-shaped bacteria that enters the bloodstream and begins to multiply there.

Another name is Lyme disease, because it was first studied in 1975 in the town of Lyme in the USA.

In the south of Russia, other ticks are also found, for example from the genus Hyalomma - they carry Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (the patient’s temperature rises, a rash, spots and bruises appear on the skin, gums and injection sites bleed, the stomach may hurt, and jaundice is possible).

Ticks from the genus Dermacentor (found in southern Russia and Western Siberia) carry tick-borne encephalitis , Omsk hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, and tick-borne North Asian typhus (all of these are also dangerous diseases).

In any case, I repeat once again, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Why is an ixodid tick bite dangerous?

It is important to understand what danger an encounter with this arachnid poses to a person or animal. Ticks carry pathogens of infectious diseases transmitted by vector-borne transmission:

tick-borne encephalitis;
borelliosis;
tularemia;
typhus, relapsing fever;
piroplasmosis;
rickettsial diseases.

Tick-borne encephalitis can be suspected if, after contact with the pathogen, the following signs appear: a sharp increase in body temperature, headache, pain in the eyeballs, muscles, joints, lethargy, lethargy, impaired consciousness, and possible meningeal symptoms. The result can be persistent paresis, paralysis, episyndrome. Dealing with the disease and its consequences is extremely difficult. The mortality rate from tick-borne encephalitis is high.

How dangerous is the microorganism that causes borelliosis? The disease can occur not only from a bite, but also from crushing an ixodid tick with your fingers. It is characterized by a staged course: first, the clinic typical of viral infections comes to the fore: hyperthermia, pain in muscles, joints, characteristic migratory tick-borne erythema is found on the skin (has a ring shape, the surface is hot to the touch, itching is possible), then neurological and cardiac symptoms (meningeal manifestations, pericarditis, myocarditis). With a longer course of the disease, large joints are affected. Lyme disease tends to become chronic; the clinical picture is represented by symptoms of arthritis and osteoporosis.

Favorable conditions for reproduction

For unhindered reproduction, parasites need favorable conditions. Moisture is very important, so the more precipitation, the more comfortable it is for them. Of course, food, so they settle closer to potential victims so that they can regularly get enough. And lastly, temperature, they cannot tolerate cold or heat, warm weather is optimal. On hot days, they hide in the thickets, where it is cool and humid.
These conditions influence the fact that in some years their numbers drop significantly, when there is little rainfall and the weather is mostly hot and sunny. But there are years when populations increase significantly, and weather conditions contribute to this.
It is also worth saying that natural conditions are the usual environment for these parasites. But unfortunately, they move from their usual environment to farms and pastures, and man himself is to blame for this. Because deforestation leads to mass migrations of insects. This situation is quite dangerous, especially for people and animals. After all, along with ticks come dangerous diseases, which means that there is a risk of epidemics.

How many years do ticks live in unfavorable conditions?

To replenish energy reserves, the ability to develop, reproduce, lay eggs, and simply live, we need the blood of animals and birds. A person becomes a temporary host, promotes further development, but significantly reduces potential. Therefore, humans are a potential victim for ixodid ticks, but not the main one.

On a note!
A tick can live for years without food. When unfavorable conditions occur, it stops moving, metabolic processes slow down, and falls into suspended animation. It can remain in this state for about 8 years. At the sight of a victim, it instantly comes to life, crawls onto the body, feeds, and continues its normal life activities.

Without blood, the pest can live longer than without water. Environmental humidity plays an important role in the development of larvae, nymphs, and the vital activity of adults.

Parasites wake up very early, when the air temperature barely rises above 0 degrees Celsius.
They activate activity at +10 degrees Celsius.
A favorable temperature for them is no higher than 22 degrees Celsius. Therefore, dry summers and heat within 30 degrees Celsius kill them.

Features of reproduction and development of ixodid ticks

Female ixodid ticks are subject to persistent gonotrophic harmony. That is, after each saturation with blood, irreversible transformations begin in the female’s body associated with preparation for childbirth.

This is interesting
Successful completion of the gonotrophic cycle is possible only in well-fed females, and complete saturation with blood is possible only in inseminated females.

The life cycle of a tick is formed from a strictly organized set of physiological sequences. The female strives for one single biological goal - to lay eggs. To do this, she needs to mate with a male and get as full of blood as possible during parasitism on a suitable host.

In natural populations, the proportion of inseminated females is no more than 50-65% of the total number of active female sexually mature individuals.

Under favorable climatic conditions during the mating season of ticks, the number of inseminated females increases. High population density also contributes to an increase in the number of inseminated individuals.

The animals are attacked by both inseminated and uninseminated females, as well as males. There are frequent cases when mating occurs in places of suction to the host’s body.

Males of most species of ixodid ticks die after one or two matings. Virgin males, under favorable conditions, continue to live up to a year or more.

During the mating process, which lasts from several hours to several days, the female parasite is not limited in mobility - she continues to hunt and feed. Males attach to the female with two pairs of limbs, thereby greatly limiting themselves and cannot parasitize during mating.

On a note
Females and males of ixodid ticks find each other thanks to special chemicals - pheromones. The greatest pheromone activity in the female is observed at the moment of saturation with blood. Males detect the smell of pheromones at a great distance and accurately find females even under unfavorable weather conditions.

The engorged, fertilized female increases in size several times. After saturation, it falls away from the owner, and a biological mechanism of preparation for oviposition is launched in its body. Depending on the time of year and ambient temperature, the oviposition process takes from two weeks to three months.

The photographs below show a female ixodid tick while laying eggs:

When engorged females enter diapause, the onset of oviposition is delayed until subsequent activity occurs.

This is interesting
Female ixodid ticks hold the absolute record for fertility among all blood-sucking arthropods. A fully saturated individual can lay up to 20 thousand eggs.

Ticks lay eggs in the top layer of litter to a depth of no more than 3-5 cm. After the end of oviposition, the females remain alive for several days. After this period, they die due to changes that have occurred in the digestive system and the irreversible collapse of internal organs.

It is also useful to read: About the taiga tick and the danger of its bites for humans

Life cycle

Everyone knows that with the arrival of spring and the first warmth, trips to nature can bring quite big problems, since ticks that have awakened after winter await us. This is true; during this period they are most active and therefore dangerous. Because the main goal is to satisfy hunger, and they are only busy looking for victims.
After saturation and, of course, fertilization, females begin to lay eggs. Regarding the number of eggs that a female can lay during her entire life cycle, it can be from 100 to 17 thousand. Living in natural conditions, for laying they choose moist areas with loose soil. But it is quite possible that the apartment will become infected, in which case eggs can be found throughout the entire room.

The entire life cycle includes four stages of development, the first is the egg, the second is the larva, the third is the nymph, and the fourth is the adult. Eggs can be of different shapes and have different shells, but they are always quite large in relation to the adult individual. Then larvae emerge from them; the period of development will always depend on temperature and humidity; the more favorable the conditions, the faster the development occurs. At this stage, they already have 6 legs, and the size of the body reaches 0.5 mm.
Already at this stage it poses a danger to humans. In order for her to move to the next stage, she must be saturated with blood. Here the question arises, if this is the first bite of an individual, what danger does it pose to humans, and the answer is clear, great. The whole point is that encephalitis can be passed on to her from her mother, so to speak, by inheritance, which she successfully spreads through a bite.
When she is satiated, the transition to a nymph takes place, here development occurs in three stages, the first is the protonymph, the second is the deutonymph, and the third is the tritonymph. Already at this stage, the parasite is quite dangerous, because it fed on blood, where infection could occur. The main differences from the imago are in size; the nymph does not exceed 1-1.5 mm, and it also has fewer bristles.
There are types of parasites that skip the second stage of the nymph, and there are those that go through the first two. Regarding ixodids, the main condition that will allow the transition to adulthood is nutrition. In the absence of food, she will not die, but will simply go to winter and survive it just fine, hungry.
Having received blood before or after wintering, the transformation into an adult begins. In this case, all changes relate to the structure of the body, new bristles appear, a shell, trachea, etc. are formed, this is an adult individual.

Ticks, larvae and their harm

Ticks of all types are classified as arachnids. They have 4 pairs of legs, an abdomen and a head. The science of arachnology studies these insects. It numbers more than 30 thousand different types of these creatures. The tick can live in:

earth;
dung heap;
water;
the remains of rotting trees.

Most individuals live completely separately, without contact with other representatives of the animal and plant world. They can feed on rotting plant debris. The female tick lays eggs in the environment in which she is accustomed to living. The larvae appear, grow, and turn into adults.

Other individuals lead a parasitic lifestyle. They choose for their life the surface of the body or even the inside of other animals that are larger in size. Some choose human or animal waste as food, others choose its blood. Today there are 3 representatives of ticks:

large varieties;
Gamasid mites;
microscopic individuals.

Large varieties

Large varieties are those that we can see. In the middle zone of our country, ixodid types are most often found. They are capable of transmitting many viral and other diseases. They can become infected with the following diseases:

Bartonellosis

tick-borne encephalitis;
Lyme disease;
rickettsiosis;
borreliosis;
bartonellosis;
piroplasmosis (in dogs).

All these diseases, if left untreated, have an absolutely unfavorable prognosis. Infection occurs when the tick bites you and burrows into your skin. This is usually a female who needs blood for more effective fertilization. It is almost impossible to catch a male tick doing this activity.

Gamasid mites

Gamasid mites are parasitic quite rarely. Most of them live in manure or black soil. These creatures are found in swamps, rivers, and in the remains of trees. Very little is said about them, since they do not cause harm to humans. They are distinguished by their small size, although some specimens can reach 4 mm. Only some of the gamasids can lead a parasitic lifestyle, attaching themselves to the bodies of birds or rodents. If these birds or rodents bite a person, they can infect him with typhus. But such cases practically never happen in nature.

Microscopic mites

Microscopic mites are representatives of very small species of the animal world. Their sizes are so small that these creatures can only be seen through a microscope. For the most part, these are parasites that need a host. Most often, they choose the skin of a pet or human as a host. Some individuals settle in the respiratory system, in the genitourinary system, and in the intestines. In any case, they cause the following diseases:

scabies;
demodicosis;
parrot knemidocoptic mange;
canine otodectosis.

These are the main diseases. In total there are approximately 120 items.

How to remove a tick?

Often, when a person sees a tick on himself, he instantly tears off its head: the person pulls the bloodsucker’s body, and the head remains under his skin. Neither the first nor the second are interested in such a development of events.

The easiest way is to take a cotton swab and apply oil to the skin around the bloodsucker. The oil will get into the tick's respiratory passages (and they are located not on the head, but behind the fourth pair of legs) - it will begin to choke and crawl out on its own. If there is no oil, you can use vodka, gasoline and even nail polish. The wound must be treated with iodine.

There is also a special tool for pulling out pliers - it looks like a small nail puller. Please note: no need to pull! You should carefully unscrew the tick from the skin.

You can also pull out a tick with a thread. A strong thread is tied into a knot as close as possible to the tick’s proboscis, then twisted in one direction, pulling it up a little until the tick unscrews.

Take care of those who are of the same blood with you - this is the law of the jungle.

It is important to know

There are times when these parasites are most dangerous. For example, in April and May, forest and dog ticks are the most bloodthirsty; despite the name, they perfectly attack people, and this is where the danger of an encephalitis tick bite arises. Where you need to go with extreme caution is in parks, forests, and squares.

Much depends on weather conditions, as mentioned earlier, if the weather is unfavorable for them, then they are less active. But you always need to be as careful as possible, choose the right clothes when traveling outdoors and do not forget about specialized anti-tick products.

Arsenal of protection against ticks

The person himself does everything possible to be bitten. In spring and summer, he goes into the forest in shorts and a T-shirt, exposing his body to bloodsuckers. Moreover, people contribute to the growth of tick numbers: city parks are more comfortable for parasites to live than forest thickets.

It is quite simple for a person to protect himself from ticks: he needs clothing that covers the entire body. Anti-mite style consists of trousers tucked into socks, a jacket tucked into trousers, cuffs and a hood that fit tightly to the wrists. Having met a person in such armor, everyone who crawls towards him will give up hope.

And so that the tick generally looks for its hosts in another place, a person calls for help with repellents (from the Latin repellens - “repulsive”). They should be sprayed on the remaining exposed parts of the body. Such products contain diethyltoluamide - for ticks this substance is as terrible as its name is for a philologist (it is not recommended to treat small children with repellents, after all, they contain toxins).

A person without a twinge of conscience uses a more powerful weapon - acaricidal agents. If a tick crawls onto clothing sprayed with such a substance, its legs will be taken away and it will fall to the ground (there is no need to spray it on the skin: such products are even more toxic than repellents).

Plants also come to the aid of humans. The usual country fence does not protect against ticks, but a hedge of marigolds, lavender, and catnip creates a natural barrier: ticks do not like these plants. People treat their lawns and ornamental shrubs with chemical repellents (three days before the arrival of children; you cannot spray areas planned for garden beds).

In addition, a person has the opportunity to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (a month to a month and a half before ticks start hunting (the first bites occur in April).

As you can see, humans have enough opportunities to protect themselves from tick attacks and their consequences.

How to protect yourself from the parasite?

Of course, the best defense against a bite is prevention.
Therefore, when planning a vacation or a walk in the forest, you should choose the right clothes wisely. Clothes in light colors will allow you to notice the parasite in time, and the dense and smooth structure of the fabric will pose a serious obstacle for the tick to stay on it. The sleeves of the jacket must be equipped with cuffs, and the trouser legs must be tucked into the boots. When traveling, it is advisable to choose a route away from thickets and high grassy areas.

If your place of residence or long-term stay is in regions with an increased risk of infection with tick-borne encephalitis, it is recommended to vaccinate against tick-borne encephalitis.

If, however, you were unable to avoid contact and you were bitten by a taiga tick, you should remove it as soon as possible using a special tick remover or ordinary thread. It is advisable to keep the tick alive and send it for analysis (where to donate ticks, see here - bezklopa.ru/kuda-sdat-kleshha-na-analiz)

Protective means against taiga ticks

To protect against unwanted contact with insects

repellents are sprays or lotions containing chemicals that only repel parasites, but do not kill them.
acaricides - destroy ticks. Acaricides can be applied both to clothing (but in no case to the skin) and to plants in a certain area to destroy existing adult mites and prevent egg laying.
protective suits.

Among the repellents presented on the domestic market, the products of the American company Ultrathon have received many positive reviews, namely:

UltraThon aerosol - up to 8 hours of protection against ticks

Buy now for RUR 695

It is also worth paying attention to the drugs Defi-taiga, Biban, OFF (extreme), Madilis, Moskitol. Children: Off, Evital, Kamarant, Biban-gel

If you are looking for an acaricide for treating clothes and camping equipment (tent, etc.), you should pay attention to the drug

BREEZE-Anticlesh

"Breeze-anti-tick" is designed to protect against almost all types of ticks (including ixodid ticks) that live in Russia. The drug is actively and successfully used among hunters, geologists, oil workers, and tourists. Unlike analogues, it kills ticks when they come into contact with treated clothing.

Buy now - from 384 RUR/piece

Anti-mite suit

A protective suit is probably the best way to protect yourself from tick bites. Thanks to the properties of the fabric from which it is made, the insect will not be able to cling to a person’s leg and crawl to other areas of the skin. The best sellers today are suits from the BIOSTOP company.

These suits combine mechanical and chemical protection against insects. Firstly, it is fabric, and secondly, it is special trap folds impregnated with an acaricidal agent. Once an insect lands on a suit, it inevitably falls into a trap and dies within a few minutes. BIOSTOP suits - 100% protection against contact with the parasite.

In the photo there is a children's BIOSTOP suit against ticks, mosquitoes, midges

How long can ticks live on the host's body?

How long ticks live on the body of an animal or person depends on how quickly they suck blood. The life phase has several stages:

first the parasite attacks a victim from grass, bush or tree;
then selects the place where the skin is thinnest;
attaches, injects a substance that numbs the bite site and begins to feed on blood;
detaches for reproduction.

The ixodid species needs nutrition once during the active phase of its life cycle, so they live on the body for up to two weeks. Females drink blood longer than males. People usually discover ticks before the parasite has a chance to lay offspring. But don't worry, larvae cannot develop on human skin due to its thickness.

The Argasid type of tick often bites people at night; it does not stay on the body for more than two hours. The larvae can remain for about five days and then begin to molt.

There are scabies mites that live on the human body and provoke the development of scabies. They are contagious and can be transmitted through personal items, as well as from animals. This mite (itch) does not live long on humans, and the number of parasites depends on the immunity of people. Scabies mites cannot live outside the host’s body, on clothing or in the external environment; they die quickly enough.

The encephalitis tick can be of any type; it is called so because it carries the causative agent of encephalitis - a very dangerous disease. A tick bite is the most common way of contracting the disease. A complication of encephalitis is death after meningitis as a complication. If an infected tick has already bitten someone, then it will no longer live; the main thing is to remove it correctly so that the proboscis and head are not left in the wound.

The ear mite, which mainly affects animals, is rarely found on the human body and lives no more than two months. It gets into people's homes on clothes, shoes, vegetables and fruits.

Other types

There are other types of parasites. The scabies mite is a common one. Causes scabies in humans and animals. Life expectancy is no more than 6 weeks. During this period, the female can lay many eggs, which turn into nymphs quite quickly.

Ear mites do not pose a threat to humans. It mainly harms animals. It lives in the auricle, feeds on its secretions, causing severe itching, irritation and inflammation.

Scratch infections often occur. The dust species often lives in blankets and pillows. It does not parasitize humans; it feeds on dead skin cells, accumulations of dust and fluff. Life expectancy is 4 months. During a season, a female can lay more than 35 thousand eggs. It often provokes the development of asthma in a person.

Spider mites are safe for animals and humans; they are herbivores and feed on plant juices. The only danger of this species is the spread of gray rot, which is destructive to plants. The marine species does not threaten animals or humans; it parasitizes marine life. Lives in salt and fresh water, in stagnant bodies of water. The predatory tick poses a danger to any other species, since it feeds on its relatives. Sometimes such individuals are specially introduced into greenhouses to destroy the harmful spider species.

The granary or flour species does not pose a threat to humans, unlike the blood-sucking species. It is considered a serious pest; it can destroy grain reserves, contaminating them with waste products. The pasture parasite is dangerous to humans and animals. Lives in forests, sometimes in the steppe, near populated areas. Carries serious diseases, for example, plague, fever, encephalitis, brucellosis. Animals are also threatened by dog ticks, which live everywhere and cause serious discomfort.

Where do forest ticks come from?

Ticks have always inhabited forests, meadows, plains, mountain slopes, etc. However, previously they were not paid much attention. Many years ago, people suffered from encephalitis, borreliosis and other dangerous viruses after tick bites, but these were rather isolated cases. The issue of interconnection was not addressed at that time. At the beginning of the last century, homestead farming began to actively develop, which resulted in a strong wave of migration of forest ticks to cities and suburbs; the parasite can enter an apartment on the body of domestic animals.

Now ticks can be found both outside the city (in the forest or, for example, near a lake) and within the city: parks, squares, shady alleys are the favorite habitats of parasites.

Means of protection against nymphs and ticks

Methods of personal protection against parasites of this kind are quite simple and accessible to everyone. By adhering to them, you can move freely across any terrain without fear of being bitten or infected:

If you are going for a walk in the forest, it is better to wear light-colored clothes (this makes it easier to spot ticks) with long sleeves, and tuck your pants into socks or boots.
Use repellents (sprays, lotions and aerosols) against ticks, applying them to clothing, following the instructions.
If there is an individual intolerance to synthetic products, then you can use essential oils of clove, rosemary or mint. We apply them to clothes or exposed parts of the body.
Ticks cannot stand the smell of marigolds, lavender and geraniums, so you can pick a few plants and put them in your pockets.
Upon return, be sure to carefully examine your clothing and body for the presence of nymphs or attached ticks.
If the work involves a long stay in forests or other places where ticks accumulate, then it makes sense to vaccinate.

Many rumors about the danger of contracting encephalitis are exaggerated due to people’s ignorance of the main thing: a tick nymph bite is not a 100% infection, but only a probability, because only one sixth of all ticks and nymphs are carriers of infection. Take precautions and don’t focus on the bad, because as they say: “If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go into the forest.”

Can ticks jump and fly?

None of the tick species can fly, so there is no need to fear an attack from the air. Can ticks jump from tree branches and bushes? No, they are not capable of jumping. Their main way of attacking a victim is to cling to it.

Ticks do not prefer to climb to a height above one and a half meters, but this is quite enough for them. In the event of a threat, such as a fire, the ticks simply detach from a branch or blade of grass and simply fall down. Some might call it a jump, but it's just an uncontrolled fall down.

Choosing a bite site

Ticks never immediately attach themselves to a new host, but patiently search for a suitable place. Properly selected clothing for walks in nature will protect against tick bites

When walking through the forest, periodically inspect yourself and your loved ones for ticks. This simple action will protect you from an unpleasant bite, and possibly more serious consequences.

When choosing a bite site, ticks are guided by many factors. Since human skin is heterogeneous and different areas differ in temperature, degree of humidity, saturation with blood vessels, softness or roughness, acid-base balance, the tick faces a difficult task - to find exactly the place that is best suited for effective feeding.

But if for some reason it was not possible to get there, they also do not disdain lower-quality areas, such as the chest, stomach, buttocks or even legs.

on the ears of an animal,
on the head
on the paws between the toes,
in the groin area,
near the anal area.

That is, in those places where the tick is least likely to be harmed during the animal’s self-cleaning.

Ticks in an animal's ear are a common occurrence after a walk.

Nutrition of larvae

Where can tick clutches be located?

Most often - in nature, on soil or on plants.
Less often – on the host’s body. In this case, the larvae will also feed on his blood.

The hatched larvae begin to look for a victim, and often there are several of these young ticks per host. Feeding takes approximately 3-4 days, after which the larvae leave the host, once again entering the natural environment. Here they molt, turning into nymphs, then again find a host - their feeding will continue for about 7 days, after which the nymphs again leave their prey, turning into an imago (adult) or leaving for the winter.

This is the process of tick reproduction.

The figure schematically shows the stages of a tick bite

However, it must be said that the pliers are able to regulate the depth of immersion. While conducting research, scientists noticed that some types of ticks do not penetrate the victim’s tissues the entire length of the mouthparts, but only partially, and stop when they reach the branching of blood vessels. It was noted that this feature is inherent in species that often change hosts, and is a kind of protection of the chelicerae from possible mechanical damage when the skin is thick. Indeed, in the event of an injury, the likelihood of the next meal will be in question.

Video: close-up of a tick bite

Ticks: descriptions and types

Ticks are a type of arthropod arachnid. Among the representatives of this subclass, there are species that feed on the blood of warm-blooded creatures, plant juices, keratinized skin particles and feathers. Over many centuries of evolution, these arthropods have decreased in size, allowing them to become the largest group among arachnids. To date, there is information on more than 53 thousand species of ticks.

The average length of arachnids is in the range of 0.2-0.4 mm, some representatives can grow up to 5 mm. The subclass has a solid or divided body, the border of which is closer to its head. Most species have 12 appendages. In the imago, the 4 posterior pairs are legs, at the ends of which there are claws and suckers. The 2 anterior pairs are part of the oral apparatus. The anterior pairs are part of the oral organ. The first has a claw-like or gnawing shape, and the second acts as palps, helping to grab and push food into the oral apparatus. The organs of vision are absent or represented by four pigment spots, which are simple eyes. In some families, the number of eyes can range from 1 to 5.

The reproduction process of various genera depends on their diet and external environment. Parasitic forms of arthropods mate even before sucking blood. One male fertilizes several females and dies. To form eggs, females need vertebrate blood, the components of which they use as building material for future laying. A fertilized individual needs to eat for about 5-10 days. The female lays eggs in the ground or on low plants; at one time, the female bloodsucker can lay up to 5 thousand eggs. After the larvae mature, in order to move to the next stage of development, they need to attach themselves to a vertebrate. After 2-5 days, the well-fed larva falls away from the donor and turns into a nymph in the ground, which also needs blood to transition into an adult.

Although the development process of ticks is very complex, larvae and nymphs can enter a state resembling suspended animation. During this period, arachnids can quietly exist without food, and their maturation to an adult form can take a couple of years.

Lifespan of a tick after a bite

How long a tick lives after a bite depends on its stage of development and the amount of blood it sucked. If the individual is young, then after the bite the chitinous cover begins to change and feeding will be required only before the next molt (2–7 days).

On average, arachnids live 2–3 years, which is exactly how long it takes to reach sexual maturity, then the parasites mate, lay eggs and die. The lifespan of ticks largely depends on the availability of food. Without food, insects hibernate, which prolongs their life cycle.

Argas ticks at the larval stage also molt after a bite, but before reaching maturity, for almost a year, they can make several bites, and then their life span lasts up to 7–8 years.

As soon as the drunk blood is digested, the tick will again be waiting for a potential victim. Thanks to slow metabolic processes and a sedentary lifestyle, arthropods have enviable vitality.

Nymphs and adults

The tick nymph has 4 pairs of limbs, just like the adult. It reaches 2 mm in length, moves quickly, and chooses animals of different sizes as temporary residences. Scientists note that most varieties of parasites in the nymphal stage spend a period of cold weather, and after the onset of heat they turn into an adult tick. Not all species pose a danger to humans. Most blood-sucking nymphs are considered a health hazard. They carry various diseases, for example, Lyme disease, encephalitis and others.

After a year, the nymph turns into a male or female. Some types of parasites live for more than 4 years and gradually develop during this time. They eat no more than 4 times during the entire period. That is why, of the many larvae, only a minority reaches maturity.

Adults do not live long. After being introduced to any animal or entering a home, they lay eggs and die. Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult for parasites to live in human homes, since a large number of objects made from non-natural materials deprive them of the opportunity to settle down normally and reproduce. In addition, there is a huge selection of products on sale that allow you to get rid of unpleasant neighbors yourself.

Generations of generations

Depending on the species and environmental conditions in which ticks are forced to live, the number of generations per year can vary greatly. In some species, the cyclicity of breeding seasons is confined to the seasons of the year or external environmental conditions.

There are species that develop from egg to death within a year. Others can produce up to 20 generations per season. Ixodid ticks are long-lived. These arthropods do not have time to fully develop in 1 season. Their lifespan ranges from 2 to 4 years depending on environmental conditions and hunting luck.

Source

Reproduction of ticks

Ticks themselves are not dangerous. They become carriers of the virus only if they drink blood from an infected individual or together with the blood of a female during the formation of eggs. But still 20% of the total number of individuals around the world are infected. And since there are millions of them, the number is not small. Before ticks reach the adult stage, they are not so dangerous even if the virus is present. Young individuals are not particularly mobile and prefer to feed on more accessible animals. The main danger is brought by individuals that have not reached sexual maturity with livestock. The animal eats the larvae and the person gets the disease along with the raw product. Also, viral diseases transmitted by ticks are common where there are a lot of rodents. In general, ticks go through all stages of maturation in 3-4 years. Depending on climatic conditions and how quickly they found food. In winter, ticks are not dangerous, as they go into diapause. But in other seasons, ticks do not sleep.